King Louis XIV of France led
an absolute monarchy
How did Louis XIV rule France?
After Mazarin’s death in 1661
, Louis XIV broke with tradition and astonished his court by declaring that he would rule without a chief minister. He viewed himself as the direct representative of God, endowed with a divine right to wield the absolute power of the monarchy.
How did Louis XIV maintain his power over France politically?
Government control –
by building the palace at Versailles and holding court there
, Louis was able to control the policy-making in absolute France. The royal court served as his home, the meeting place for the state, and also a place where royal subjects would come to pay tribute to the King and attend parties.
What form of government did France have under Louis XIV?
In France, Louis XIV was the most famous exemplar of
absolute monarchy
How did Louis XIV treat his subjects?
The people are good-natured fools to suffer so long.” Louis saw and treated his subjects
with contempt throughout his life
. He saw it as their duty to fund his royal lifestyle, and little evidence exists of any sympathy Louis might have had for their poverty.
What was the personal rule of Louis XIV?
Louis began his personal rule of
France
in 1661, after the death of his chief minister, the Cardinal Mazarin
What problems faced Louis XIV?
Throughout the long war, Louis XIV suffered many hardships, including
poverty and starvation
. To Louis XIV’s relief, Mazarin finally achieved victory over the rebels in 1653. After the civil war ended, Mazarin began to build an elaborate administration as Louis XIV stood by and observed his mentor.
When did France stop having a king?
In
1789
, food shortages and economic crises led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. King Louis and his queen, Mary-Antoinette, were imprisoned in August 1792, and in September the monarchy was abolished.
Does France still have a royal family?
France is a Republic, and
there’s no current royal family recognized by the French state
. Still, there are thousands of French citizens who have titles and can trace their lineage back to the French Royal Family and nobility.
What was Louis XIV nickname?
He viewed himself as the direct representative of God, endowed with a divine right to wield the absolute power of the monarchy. To illustrate his status, he
chose the sun as his emblem and cultivated
the image of an omniscient and infallible “Roi-Soleil” (“Sun King”) around whom the entire realm orbited.
What made Louis XIV a good leader?
He chose the sun as his sigil
, after the Greek god Apollo, god of peace and art, giver of life, regulating everything with the rise and set of the sun. This suited Louis leadership style perfectly. He was the absolute ruler
How did King Louis XIV come to power?
He became king at the age of four on the death of his father, Louis XIII. … He regarded himself as an absolute monarch, with
his power coming directly from God
. He carefully cultivated his image and took the sun as his emblem.
Was Louis XIV a good ruler?
The Most Successful
Absolute
Monarch in Europe was Louis XIV of France. Of all the absolute rulers
Where is Louis XIV buried?
Although Louis XIV’s body is buried in
Saint-Denis Basilica
, his entrails were transported to Notre Dame Cathedral and his heart placed in the church of Saint-Louis des Jésuites (currently the church of Saint-Louis-Saint-Paul). Majestic royal funerals were subject to ceremonial which was regulated like clockwork.
How true is Versailles?
In the case of Versailles, it’s
a series grounded in broader historical truths
, but one in which chronology has been manipulated and key characters invented so as to produce a stronger narrative. When events are debated by historians, it understandably dramatises the raciest interpretation of those contested events.
What bad things did King Louis do?
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were
executed for treason
. Louis had failed to address France’s financial problems, instigating the French Revolution that eventually descended upon him. He made matters worse by often escaping to more pleasurable activities like hunting and locksmithing.
